The gods Pride and Selfishness came together

And had children: Superiority and Self-Righteousness.

Self-Righteousness met Fear while

Superiority met Prejudice and had Avarice.

The god Wrath had a niece called Injustice

And then Wrath had a child with Avarice.

A loner, with no place it naturally fit in

That nameless child filled with Darkness

Lumbered restless throughout the Earth

Bored, lonely self-named Darkness 

Made for unprecedented hardship upon the Earth. 

He put in minimum effort for maximum output,

Unleashing anger on all in his path, but efficiently.

So begins his quest to absolve his own desires.

His first glimpse at cohesion and warmth

Vibrancy and life that brought him irritation

Was there, at a reef brimming with colour, sound, rhythm.

He wanted this kaleidoscope for himself.

But in doing that, he extinguished everything in sight.

It is the way misery spreads.

These creatures in all shapes and sizes, moved in swarms,

Co-existing, helping each other, or so they had.

Darkness birthed predators, amused to see the reef become frenzied,

At the thought that “their own” were taking their lives

The busy whirlpool of sharks that encircle small fish to consume. 

The sea floor temperature could not 

Match his chilled smile as new danger loomed.

All in its path for their own greed and bidding,

The rare victories are when the nets are overcome by an entire school’s force.

The reefs never come away unharmed though, by these 

Outsiders of sweeping destruction to forcefully take them from home.

Blowfish-like explosions fell out of the above, contaminating the blue water,

Everything blew up without discrimination or making lives sick and weak, 

Darkness was ecstatic, watching the reef, become dull, quiet and dead.

When boats came and dropped outsiders who broke corals 

The voiceless sea creatures could only wait to be trampled on or migrate,

With no way to defend against a realm of reality they could not enter.

What the sea animals could only wish for, after his parade of demolition, 

Darkness ascends to the land, large, heavy and all-consuming, 

Brimming with ambition for the next target.

Set in forested lands above the sea, unbeknowest to most.

This the shadow creature came across Papa Bois

And an equal society already formed like in the reef.

This is where he would unleash his mischief again.

Animals blew past the trees with Papa Bois, in their glee,

They fought and moved as one to stop hunting and littering, protecting everyone.

Their music a sound like blues, but one-of-a-kind.

What was that? Xylo-? No. Dru-? No.

Some kind of steel? Yes.

Ah, the sweetness of the tune,

The way it makes the body move, so different.

Darkness grinned as his assault began.

What was that? Planas-! No. Chap we don-! No.

Annihilation and death! Yes. Now, he understood.

Ah, the rightness of the language.

The accused believe it was the white shadow.

“Nobody ain’t never see a white shadow till today!” 

“All this back chat? You use to eat we, ya feel we didn’t know?”

Who was the superior species? Pit against each other, prideful in their own

The animals start bacchanal, leaving Papa Bois over confused. 

Darkness was quiet like a macco meter as plannasse pass.

Amused, but aware Papa Bois could avoid intrusive hunters,

Darkness introduced a new insect to the foray.

The Cricket was meant to bring destruction,

Consume crops and flatten out this society with oppressive force

But Darkness underestimated Papa Bois and his kin

Right after, the cricket was inculcated into their society

Like it had always been there to begin with

They became bredrin.

A beacon of calling attention, being heard, a voice for the voiceless,

Gathering and unifying comrades around

To end its loneliness and solitude.

Faith was restored in the forest

And they understood their significance

The roles each played was not minor

Working together, they accomplished more.

When all failed, Darkness enraged

Desired from the forest to be drowned in flames.

Bathed in red heat, terror stirred in the animals’ eyes.

Darkness was delighted as smoke rose like a signal of death.

But Papa Bois blew his horn to tell the animals to run away and 

The crickets called in their unique song and the skies complied, minimising damage.

Gathered together, the forest ready to dingolay as Darkness admitted the first defeat.

She woke up on de plane.

Below her, she saw houses, not a home. 

Too much a pride, daiz it self.

Allat pride, power, self-interest, money is all dem leaders studying.

Nobody ah relly wanna help each odder, cuz dey busy feeling dey better.

If we fix up the education and accept all the people dem belief and colour,

If we all get a vote for a proper govament dem, carry dong travel an’ food price,

If we poor same way, we rich same way, same kinda crime and pollution we facing,

If we play fair an’ not try to feel we bigger than anybody,

Leave she to wonder if everything get destroyed an’ level out,

In poverty, would dey be able to recover an’ integrate den?

Nun too big buh one day she hope . . . dese small houses would become home.

Ent we could handle we own story an’ add some colour, instead ah bleaching out

Wit dem big countries den? “Soon, soon, soon. Jus now dey, we go see.”

Darkness slink ‘way, rel mad.

Shamed by his own failure,

He humble heself a while and

Bury heself, hibernating inside de Earth.

Years in de Earth made him notice skies above.

The skies were against him before

So, he decide to take control of lan’, sea an’ de sky.

He plunge forward to engulf all in his red mouth.

Volcanoes burgeon, erupt, rise hot, muddy, bloody,

Waves an’ storms, wit no coral, show de shoreline no mercy 

Hurricanes blew like Mudda Nature screaming

Bloody murder.

Buh if god War to blame, den all ah we ha’ blame too.

We still goin’ like we tryna be gods,

An’ the gods still taking advantage, cuz daiz what dey know.